West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1887-09-29
THE OVERLAND EXPRESS
"REMINISCENCES OF AN OLD WEST.
ERIN PONY RIDER.
his Experiences I'm Carrying Treas
ure Across the Plains Before the
Era OF the Railroad.

IRA Va hht hdiiEOaO.
cit is just twenty nine years since |
first crossed the Rockies" said III. c..
Page, of Tacoma, Washington Territory.
land hardly know what Eastern life
is"
Mr. Page was the most distinguished
and daring rider of the once famous pony
express riders, and for years had the
general supervision of Washington Terri
tory, Idaho and Oregon for Wells, Fargo
II Co., and the stories he tells of his
hairbreadth escapes and adventures
while carrying gold across the plains
would make ones hair stand on end. To
Minneapolis Tribune reporter he con
descended to relate few of his adj
ventures
"But there is q mighty change" he
said, sin that Western country now
from what il was when l was out there
in 1859. In the fall of 1868 began car
rying express from Kansas City TO Silver
City, distance of $50 miles, and il was
a terrible dreary ride, with only an oc-
casional settler fifty or hundred miles
apart. 1t was Just in the times of the
Indian troubles down there, and the red.
skins were everywhere. We couldn't
ride twenty-five miles without encoun-
terlng few of the pesky things, and to
find messenger murdered, and his scalp
taken and pack robbed, was an everyday
occurrence
&C. In the fall of 1866 / left Dallas in
company with stage driver named
Wheeler-by the way, wagon road had
been completed at that time and a line
OF stages was running across the plains
and started out on my usual trip. About
100 miles from Dallas, while riding along
and swapping stories, we heard a pistol
shot In the rear, and before we could
move hand or foot we were surrounded
10y yelling and hooting crowd of In
dams. There were eighteen in all, and
the noise they made wOuld make person
think that bedlam had broken loose. The
only weapons L had were a pistol and
shotgun, having unfortunately left my
rifle at Dallas; and if i remember rightly.
L think Wheeler had nothing but a
revolver with him. But, knowing
that instant action was the only
thing that would save us, 1
jumped off the stage and fired into them.
first emptying my shotgun and then my
pistol. Three of them dropped, and the
rest ran back, while we dashed our
horses to gallop. We hadn't gone but
IL.
whole pack was again at our heels. Halt
ing our horses, | left Wheeler to hold
them and shoot the best he could, while
L jumped off again, and as GOOD luck
would have it, routed them. But while
we were trying to drive them off again.
Wheeler received a shot in the mouth.
carrying away portion of his upper law.
Seeing that we could no longer keep on
the stage and live, we both iumped
astride the horses. after cutting them
loose, and dashed off as fast as we could
go down the Iayine. Wheeler was suffer
ing terribly, and could hardly sit on his
horse, but he hung on like a major.
I'm going down the gulch five more
Indians rushed out upon us and fred
away, one shot striking my horse in the
leg, tanning him; and to make matters
worse, he slipped and fell, throwing me
headlong on the rocks below. The horse
then ran away, and with the Indians
after us, Wheeler wounded, and ONLY
one horse for the two of US, we were in n
desperate situation, and began to grow
disheartened and thought that my time
had surely come. Well, to make lone
story short finally managed to get on
TO Mheeler's horse, and we managed TO
get to Alkali Flat, where we got a doctor
to fix Wheeler's wound. / then went hack
after the letter pouch that had been left
IN the stage, and went TO Kansas CITY.
Wheeler got well again, and is now a
wealthy ranchman in Oregon.
Il have been extremely lucky, myself.
and IN all the troubles and adventures
that have gone through / have only
been wounded once, and that was in the
arm, when | was shot while attempting
to capture some stage robbers near Fish
Springs. In 1868 / experienced my first
stage robbery. while going from Boise
City TO Umatilla, along the Blue Mound
range. We had about $3.50 worth of
gold dust with us, and, of course. wehad
TO be careful on account OF the numerous
highwaymen, and we took every precau-
tion in the way of arms, and so forth.
But 1t seemed we were fated to be held
up anyway. While rounding a rocky
point, three men jumped TO the horses
heads, one held a pistol to the drivers
head, and three others proceeded To re-
heye me Of all my treasure. We were
taken so suddenly that we couldn't helm
ourselves, and the only thing that we
could do was 10 return home and rcDO~t
the loss. The robbers were all caught
however with nearly all the gold. and
each ono got from five TO ten years In the
penitcntiary After getting out. one of
them was hung for murder. in Idaho.
and the others were shot in Arizona.
"Ah, yes sighed Mr.. Page. those
were the days when man thought no
more of riding horseback distance Of "A
hundred miles than he would now Of
going on the train the same distance.
Why, ] myself rode from Kansas Civ
to Dallas. a distance Of 1875 miles in
twenty eight hours, carrying f25 pounds
OF treasure with me. OF course changed
horses every twenty-five miles. because if
! hadn't one horse wouldn't have lasted
very long. Before the stage route was
laid through that Western country. one
messenger would pass over the route
every three days You see. they had
about sixty riders in the saddle all the
time over one route, and so arranged
that % messenger would pass over lust %
often. Zach one carried about four hun.
dred pounds Of gold dust. which went
about 5000 70 the pound Of twelve
ounce. Eater on, when the country was
more settled. some ranchmen along the
road used TO take care Of the extra horses.
so that The messenger cold change and
get fresh Ones but before that each man
bad TO take siN or seven horses with him